Air fryer frozen chicken nuggets are less greasy and still crispy. It’s easy to serve for lunch or dinner and kids will love it!
When you want a simple kid-friendly meal, or let’s be honest, an overworked adult-friendly meal, frozen chicken nuggets are great.
Keep a bag in the freezer and you have dinner or a filling snack ready within minutes.
Ingredients Needed
- Frozen Chicken Nuggets
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
How to Make Frozen Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer
There is no special magic to it. With a good quality air fryer, you can cook all types of frozen foods, and cooking frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer is no exception.
The only thing that is important to remember is that you spray the air fryer basket beforehand with appropriate cooking oil and don’t stack the nuggets on top of each other.
That last part is what ensures crispiness on all sides.
For the brand and size of nuggets that I use, the frozen chicken nuggets air fryer time is only 12 minutes in total. I flip halfway but that is really all there is to it.
Depending on the brand that you prefer and whether they are larger or smaller than mine, you may want to adjust the cooking time.
Check in after the first 5 minutes and check whether the bottom has a nice golden brown color to decide how much longer it needs.
What to Eat with Chicken Nuggets
Are chicken nuggets a bit of a guilty pleasure that you’ve never outgrown? Or are your kids in a phase where they won’t eat anything else?
There is a way to dress it up so that it doesn’t feel like you are having a happy meal each time.
The classic combo would of course be with air fryer french fries which I jazz up with parmesan, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
But if you want a different kind of potato, I highly recommend this cheesy hash brown casserole that comes together with basic pantry items.
If you want to sneak in some veggies on your kid’s plate, these recipes work very well. Try these zucchini chips that almost completely hide their green color or these asparagus spirals that look so fun to munch on.
For a more adult and elevated feel, I like to pair the nuggets with one of these side dish recipes. For a trip down memory lane, this cold Italian pasta salad is wonderful and for a Mexican twist to the classic American meat, I prepare my style of street corn.
And let’s not forget about dessert! This cinnamon sugar apple salad is also a brilliant addition to a school lunchbox.
Best Dipping Sauce for Chicken Nuggets
Finally, we get to perhaps the most important part; the chicken nugget dipping sauce. You can make your own healthier version of the McDonald’s sweet and sour dipping sauce or go for the competition’s homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce. For something a little fancier, try this Buckaroo BBQ dipping sauce or this rich honey mustard sauce.
Let me know what homemade sauce you decide to go with. I am always curious about new and interesting flavor pairings.
Try these other frozen air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 12-18 Frozen Chicken Nuggets, Depending on the size of your air fryer basket
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Spray air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Add a single layer of frozen chicken nuggets and close the tray or lid.
- Cook at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes, flip, and cook an additional 6 minutes until crispy on the outside and no longer frozen on the inside.
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